The recent strife between men and women in connection to Brett Kavanugh are affecting people across the country, including celebrities. Ellen DeGeneres shared her own story of sexual abuse and expressed her frustration towards Donald Trump.
In an interview with Today, DeGeneres said she is “furious” that people will not believe sexual assault victims like herself. “As a victim of sexual abuse, I am furious at people who don’t believe it and who say, ‘How do you not remember exactly what day it was?’” she told TODAY’s Savannah Guthrie in an interview. “You don’t remember those things. What you remember is what happened to you, where you were, and how you feel. That’s what you remember.”
During DeGeneres’ Wednesday show, the host opened up about her experience being sexually assaulted. Actress #BusyPhilipps sat in as a guest and spoke about being raped when she was 14. DeGeneres and Philipps shared their compassion and praise for Dr. ChristineBlaseyFord’s testimony. The talk show host then went on to say this issue is near and dear to her heart.
“I was 15 years old. I’m not even going into the details — it doesn’t matter — but we are really vulnerable at that age, and we trust,” she said. “And then when you are violated, you don’t know what to do and you don’t want to say anything because first of all, you just start wondering, ‘How did this happen, how was I that stupid?’ All of these things you think you could have controlled and you can’t.”
DeGeneres added that she was disturbed by Donald Trump’s mockery of Ford’s testimony. “I don’t like to talk about him,” she said. “This is not political. This really isn’t. It’s got nothing to do with being Republican or Democrat or anything. It’s just about respect and someone who is the leader of our country who is mocking someone who was abused. You don’t do that. You don’t mock somebody.” While saddened by the harsh reality women face, she said it’s time to step up. “If anything, before I stop doing this show someday, I hope that I’m empowering women,” she said. “We just have to not be quiet anymore.”
